NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour New Hampshire Preview

One of the most important race weeks of the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season is here, as the series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this week for Saturday’s running of the Mohegan Sun 100 (4:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

Saturday’s race marks the 78th Modified Tour event held at the 1.058-mile asphalt oval since 1990, when Mike McLaughlin held off Mike Stefanik to secure the 14th of his 16 series victories. That event started a tradition for the Modified Tour; New Hampshire quickly became one of the most popular stops on the schedule each season.

Stefanik leads all Modified Tour competitors with eight victories at the track known as “The Magic Mile,” with other stars like Tony Hirschman, Reggie Ruggiero, Bobby Santos III, Ted Christopher, John Blewett III, Doug Coby, Steve Park, Todd Szegedy and Justin Bonsignore among the 25 drivers to earn trips to Victory Lane at the track.

Below is everything you need to know about the 12th race of the 2026 Modified Tour season.

The race every NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver has circled on his calendar is finally here.

Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (4:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing) is arguably the biggest race of the season for Modified Tour teams and drivers. A win at New Hampshire can make or break a season and, in the case of some, change the course of their careers.

One season ago it was Tyler Rypkema who emerged as the victor in a thrilling finish that saw him crash across the finish line after contact with Justin Bonsignore as the two raced to the checkered flag. That finish wasn’t an anomaly; Modified Tour events at New Hampshire have traditionally provided thrilling finishes.

A large field of Modifieds is scheduled to take the green flag Saturday. Leading that charge is NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, who is scheduled to make his second start of the season with NASCAR’s oldest division. Preece is a New Hampshire Modified Tour winner (2021) and should be considered among the contenders Saturday.

Another NASCAR star on the entry list for Saturday is 18-time Cup Series race winner Ryan Newman, who has two Modified Tour victories at New Hampshire. He’ll pilot the No. 0 owned by Glenn Styers in his third Modified Tour start of the season.

Three-time Loudon winner Justin Bonsignore returns to Modified Tour competition Saturday. He’ll pilot his familiar No. 51 Ken Massa Motorsports entry, which will carry new colors thanks to sponsorship from Dollar Tree. Luke Baldwin also returns to Modified Tour competition this weekend aboard the No. 7 owned by his father, Tommy Baldwin Jr.

Championship leader Patrick Emerling will chase his first points victory at New Hampshire on Saturday. (He won a 35-lap, non-point event at New Hampshire in 2019.) Defending series champion Austin Beers is looking for not only his first New Hampshire triumph, but also his first victory of the season.

Other notable entries for Saturday’s event include Matt Hirschman, Andy Seuss, Eric Goodale, Mike Christopher Jr., Jon McKennedy, Craig Lutz, Paulie Hartwig III, Anthony Nocella, Stephen Kopcik, Chase Dowling and Ronnie Williams, among others.

Procedures

SCHEDULE: Friday, Aug. 21: Practice from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. … Final practice from 12:40 to 1:10 p.m. … American Racer Pole Award qualifying at 2:45 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 22: Start of the Mohegan Sun 100 (100 Laps / 105.8 Miles) at 4:30 p.m. ET.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Mohegan Sun 100 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is twelve (12) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by NASCAR Officials, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. The same four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. A maximum of four (4) tires of the allotment may be used as change tires. The tire change rule is two (2) tires per stop. This includes “swapping” tires front to back.

The full entry list for Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 is below.

Updated Standings

Patrick Emerling
Austin Beers -13
Stephen Kopcik -44
Matt Hirschman -56
Jon McKennedy -57
Eric Goodale -59
Tyler Rypkema -69
Tommy Catalano -88
Teddy Hodgdon -92
Mike Christopher Jr. -102